IAPPS NEWSLETTER

Number VII      July, 2010

ESTABLISHMENT OF IAPPS EAST ASIA REGIONAL CENTER

As of October 1, 2009, Dr. Noriharu Ken Umetsu, Professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Senior Managing Director, Otsuka Chemical Co., Ltd., became the new Coordinator, Region VII: East Asia. Since then, keen discussions have been made among scientists related to plant protection sciences in Japan in order to promote the regional activities for IAPPS. To achieve the aim, they have decided to establish a regional organization, i.e., an East Asia (Region VII) Regional Center for IAPPS.
On March 12, 2010, the first Operating Committee of the East Asia Regional Center (EARC) was held at the Tokyo University of Agriculture. The member of the Operating Committee is Professor Yasuhisa Kunimi, Tokyo University of Agriculture & Technology (a representative of the Japanese Society of Applied Entomology & Zoology), Professor Tohru Teraoka ,Tokyo University of Agriculture & Technology, (Phytopathological Society of Japan ), Dr. Isao Ueyama, Japan Analytical Chemistry Consultants Co., Ltd. (Pesticide Science Society of Japan), Professor Izuru Yamamoto (former Governing Board of IAPPS), and Dr. Noriharu Ken Umetsu (Governing Board of IAPPS and Coordinator of Region VII). Professor Tamio Ueno, a representative of the Plant Protection Science Confederation (tentative name) in Japan also attended the committee as an observer and adviser. Dr. Yoshiharu Fujii, National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (Weed Science Society of Japan) was absent due to business trip. Prof. Kunimi, Prof. Teraoka, Dr. Ueyama and Dr. Fujii were newly and officially selected as a committee member from each scientific society.

At the committee meeting, the regulations of the East Asia (Region VII) Regional Center for IAPPS were approved, and selected Dr. Ueyama as a secretary-general of the regional center. The Japanese Society for Chemical Regulation of Plants is currently discussing whether they would join as a member of the IAPPS East Asia Regional Center.
    From now on, the EARC of IAPPS will conduct following activities:

  1. Distribution of the news on the activities of IAPPS to plant protection sciences related scientific societies and organizations, and also to their members.
  2. Promotion of IAPPS membership in the region.
  3. Submission of news items to IAPPS's Newsletter.
  4. Contribution to the IPPC including the next IPPC to be held in Honolulu, Hawaii in August 2011
  5. Promotion of a regional IAPPS meeting in collaboration with one or more of our national societies.

After the meeting, Prof. Kunimi, Prof. Teraoka, Dr. Ueyama and Dr. Fujii have applied or plan to apply as members of IAPPS. The new organization will inevitably contribute the promotion of IAPPS activities in the East Asia Region.

Dr. Noriharu Ken Umetsu
IAPPS Coordinator
Region VII: East Asia
E-mail: ken-umetsu@otsukac.co.jp

NEW BOOK ON RICE PLANTHOPPERS

IRRI has just published a new book on rice planthoppers, entitled "Planthoppers - new threats to the sustainability of intensive rice production systems in Asia".
In the last 5 years, rice planthoppers have become serious pests of rice in Asia and threats to sustainable intensification of rice production. Besides causing direct damages to rice crops, the three main pest species transmit 4 virus diseases that have been causing huge crop losses in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and several SE Asian countries (http://ricehoppers.net/2010/03/outbreaks-of-planthoppers-and-virus-diseases-in-2009/ ).
Planthoppers have posed similar threats to rice production in the 1970s and 1980s and have since remained relatively unimportant pests for the last 20 years. The present revisit of pests known to be induced by the 1st Green Revolution is a wake up call for new thinking and approaches that are needed for sustainable intensification of global agriculture

In the last 5 years a new virus transmitted by the white back planthopper has been identified and it is spreading in south China and northern Vietnam. A consortium has been formed to fast track research to learn about the disease

The book begins with an extensive chapter describing the taxonomy, biology and keys to the 65 species of planthopper and important natural enemies associated with them in rice ecosystems. Chapters discussing gaps in our current understanding of planthopper-rice relationships, host plant resistance, ecological relationships that cause outbreaks and insecticide resistance outline new research opportunities. New thinking and approaches towards the development of more sustainable strategies are discussed in chapters on ecosystem services, ecological engineering approaches and the changing trends in farmers' discontinuance of IPM practices.

All the 19 chapters in the book are freely available at http://ricehoppers.net/publications/ in separate pdfs for downloading.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. K. L. Heong
IAPPS Coordinator
Region VIII: Southeast Asia
E-mail: k.heong@cgiar.org

The IAPPS Newsletter is published by the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences and distributed in Crop Protection to members and other subscribers. Crop Protection, published by Elsevier, is the Official Journal of IAPPS.

IAPPS Mission: to provide a global forum for the purpose of identifying, evaluating, integrating, and promoting plant protection concepts, technologies, and policies that are economically, environmentally, and socially acceptable.

It seeks to provide a global umbrella for the plant protection sciences to facilitate and promote the application of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to a the world's crop and forest ecosystems.

Membership Information: IAPPS has four classes of membership (individual, affiliate, associate, and corporate) which are described here.

The IAPPS Newsletter welcomes news, letters, and other items of interest from individuals and organizations. Address correspondence and information to:

Dr. Manuele Tamo, Editor
IAPPS Newsletter
Biological Control Center for Africa, IITA-Benin
08 B.P. 0932 Tri Postal, Cotonou, Republic of Benin
E-mail: m.tamo@cgiar.org